1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to shipping and storage containers, more particularly for use with fruit and vegetable produce, especially strawberries.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are various problems and difficulties being encountered in providing suitable means for shipping and storing berry produce.
Currently, the strawberry industry employs a corrugated paper, box-like tray that is so constructed as to include two compartments defined by a central partition. Each compartment is formed to receive a group of six baskets, for a total of twelve baskets. Such trays are used in large quantities and are thus generally supplied to the growers in collapsed form, so that an assembly machine must be employed to erect each tray in order to receive twelve plastic, web-like baskets, which are well known in the art. In fact, at the present time the above-described shipping-and-storage trays and plastic baskets are the only ones being employed in the strawberry industry.
When loaded with berry baskets, the known trays must be stacked on pallets which normally provide for sixteen layers of trays, arranged six to each layer, for a total of ninety-six per pallet. However, in order to stack the layers in such an arrangement, a pair of stacking wires must be inserted into each tray, one wire in each end wall, so as to link the tray with the superposed tray. This stacking arrangement has not been found to be completely satisfactory for long periods of time during hauling. The stacked load must also be carefully handled so as to prevent tipping, which often occurs.
Due to the paper-type construction of these trays, they can not be exposed to a wet environment because their individual compressive strength will change, allowing the well structures of the trays to collapse and thereby crushing the berries stored therein.
Further, the arrangement of the trays and their baskets results in unsatisfactory grower yield per acre, since more berries are picked and stored in each tray of baskets than are needed. This situation causes additional handling at store level because each individual basket must be removed from its tray and repackaged to provide for the excess berries. Even though the store can fill two or three additional baskets, it is costly--since it is time-consuming and expensive to have high-salaried store clerks handle the unpacking and repacking of the berries.
As other examples of the various storage containers and systems for packaging, one may refer to the following United States patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,539,071 to R. E. Ludder discloses a packaging structure that includes a plurality of nestable containers such that individual containers are positioned and retained in a carrier tray. The actual carrier-container assemblies are placed in cartons and shipped to the respective dairies, etc., which fill the individual containers while they remain in the carrier trays; and the carrier trays are then repackaged in cartons or the like for shipment to the end user.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,976 to G. R. Chadbourne discloses a molded packaging tray comprising a plurality of interconnected elongated container sections. The trays are formed for stacking, one above the other, with alternate trays being oriented differently from adjacent ones.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,381 to G. Kaupert discloses a nestable compartmentalized tray made of thin sheet material and having a plurality of downwardly narrowing cup-shaped depressions. Trays of this structure may be nested in one another to form a tray stack.
Another nestable and stackable support tray is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,834 to R. C. Olsen. This tray is particularly designed as a planting system that includes a support tray, a plurality of interconnected sleeves, and a plurality of transplant frames adapted for insertion within each sleeve.